Guwahati railway station set to become India’s first 100% plastic-recyclable station

Guwahati, Oct 7: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has embarked on a series of pioneering initiatives across its network to promote environmental sustainability and achieve the objectives of Indian Railways' Green Mission 2030.

NFR's Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, told the press on Tuesday that among these efforts, the transformation of Guwahati railway station, on the way to becoming India's first 100% plastic recyclable station, is a significant initiative in sustainable railway operations.

He added that this initiative is being planned through a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NFR, Assam Pollution Control Board and a local authorised recycler with technical support from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati.

The initiative combines scientific innovation, regulatory compliance and practical execution to create a replicable model for effective plastic waste management across the region, the CPRO said.

Under this programme, Sharma added that the NFR has implemented a comprehensive plastic waste management system that includes colour-coded dustbins for segregation, bottle crushing machines, composting units and QR code-based monitoring for real time efficiency tracking.

Eco-friendly compostable bags, developed by IIT Guwahati have replaced single-use plastics in trains, significantly reducing plastic waste generation.

To further promote awareness and encourage public participation, NFR has organised numerous "Waste-to-Art" exhibitions, Nukkad Nataks, Scouts and Guides awareness drives and digital campaigns at various stations.

The NFR Chief Spokesman said that these efforts have fostered environmental consciousness among passengers, vendors and railway staff.

As a result, vendor compliance has reached 100%, passenger cleanliness complaints have dropped by 60% and the overall station ambience has markedly improved, he added.

Building on these achievements, the NFR plans to extend the 100% plastic recyclable station model to nine more stations across its network.

The Northeast Frontier Railway operates in the northeastern states and in seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of north Bihar.

IANS